(Journal Entry #1 of Prayer and Terror. Written on November 14, 2015, Saturday)
Why have I started this personal journaling series, which I will share in a blog (which I will then later turn into a published book)? This is why:
My husband and I have date night every Friday night and we decided to go to an early to dinner on November, Friday the 13th since we were hungry. As we drove there, my cell phone made the notification sound which let me know I most likely had a breaking news alert. Hence, I decided to check it, and sure enough, at 247 p.m. we learned of explosions in Paris, France. (Was it a new terror attack?) There were also reports of gunfire and at least two people were dead.
We both said, "Oh, boy..."
As we sat there in the restaurant, we kept receiving news alerts and the numbers of dead and wounded kept growing, along with the details of what happened (and was happening) in Paris. Needless to say, "Oh, boy," grew to, "Oh, Lord." The last was a form of a prayer when we just could not find the words.
Our hearts fell as we prayed.
It sure sounded like terrorism.
To make matters worse, as we sat there at dinner, we read of a news report about how Christians in Indonesia are experiencing jihad after imams say how they will keep hunting Christians and burning churches.
These two news reports left us rather stirred up about the need to take a stand against terrorism and fight terrorism.
{NOTE: The numbers I share were what were being reported at the time. Therefore, when all is said and done, these numbers will be different. We will know in a week or two the true numbers of the Paris Terror Attacks.}
Then, when we got home, we headed straight to our television and watched to see what was being said about Paris. Was it being called terror yet? We quickly learned how the situation only grew worse by the moment. There were around 100 hostages in the Bataclan Concert Hall. Then, things got worse. People said on social media how the terrorists were executing people one by one. Then, things got even worse. People said how the terrorists in the Bataclan were throwing hand grenades in the faces of the hostages. Then, things got more intense when it was reported how there were five explosions outside the Concert Hall. Next, police went in the Bataclan and 12 or so were rescued. In the end, that stopped the terror attacks last night and we are still waiting for the final murdered and wounded counts.
The Paris Terror Attacks were not known about ahead of time, according to initial reports. There was no known chatter specifically about attacking Paris. (As I type this on Monday, November 16, 2015, we are hearing differently.) Hence, it was a surprise attack. France was already on heightened alert after the Charlie Hebdo attack on January 07, 2015.
So, France didn't hear chatter. Neither did we (the USA). This realization was and is rather disturbing. In the past, we would have. This shows how much we have regressed.
Also, the Paris Terror Attacks happened eight hours after President Barak Obama announced on television how ISIS was "contained." He said this even though they took a Russian Jetliner in the last week and it killed around 200 people on board. (Pardon?)
A couple of days prior, a terrorist known as "Jihadi John" was killed in an airstrike. (Note: I need to look him up and this information up later.)
Also, The USA has been attacking Syria and has stepped up its efforts in the war on terror (slightly and minutely).
The six Paris Terror Attacks have me stirred up and have left me stunned. It has made wonder several things. For instance, what can I do personally, if anything, to fight terrorism? And, how can I understand terror and the beliefs of terrorism? Can I? (And just because I might understand what they believe, it does not mean I support it or need to do so. Nor does it mean I have to be politically correct.) Are the terrorists part of a 'radical' form of Islam? Or does Islam have militant tendencies? What does the Koran (Quran) really say? What is the history of the Crusades, the conflict in the Middle East, and terrorism?
How can I pray about terrorism?
How can Christians take a stand? Should Christians take a stand?
What should we pray specifically about terrorism?
September Eleventh was over fourteen years ago and I realize how little I still understand about terrorism, Islam, and the Koran, never mind the history of all three--and what the history of all three have to do with current events. Therefore, I am forced to ask a troubling question. How can my prayers be effective, let alone fully effective, if I do not understand this history and current events of Islam, the Koran, and terrorism?
Stop.
Let me repeat that.
How effective can my prayers be if I do not understand Islam, the Koran, and terrorism--past, present, and in the future?
The answer is simple and straightforward. My prayers are ineffective at best because I cannot pray specific, pinpointed, targeted prayers about terrorism if I am not fully informed about the current events and history of Islam, the Koran, and terrorism.
Period.
If I am not fully informed about Islam, the Koran, terrorism, the Crusades, the conflict in the Middle East, al-Qaeda, ISIS/ISIL/IS, I cannot pray effectively. My prayers, if uninformed, are like me having a dart, and I am spun around and blindfolded, and am told to hit an one-inch target from a mile away. How do these prayers help anyone? And, how do they advance the kingdom and will of God? (They don't.)
Therefore, it is my goal to get schooled in Islam, the Koran, the Middle East, and terrorism--in the past (history), present, and future of each. I want to become a subject matter expert so my prayers can be fully and completely effective.
All that being said, let me me perfectly honest here. I have not even prayed against terrorism as I could or should. I haven't prayed about terrorism far too many times and days. More to the point, I have been silent in prayer regarding terrorism far more than I have uttered one word of prayer about terrorism.
If I had prayed like I could or should, would the Paris Terror Attacks have happened at all--or would they have been at least lessened?
I have bought four books to start my education.
I am starting this personal journaling series, which I will turn into blog posts, which I will then turn into a book or two. After all, I am certain I am not the only Christian who feels this way, who is not informed about the history, and is concerned about praying in the most effective way possible regarding terrorism--past, present, and future.
I think it's critical for each and every Christian to pray about terrorism. And, our prayers should be as effective as possible.
ISIS is not a JV (or jayvee) team and they are not contained in the slightest. Nor are they in retreat.
Terrorism is an evil ideology. We need to understand the magnitude of the threat of terrorism. We are at war. We can deny it and run from it, but terrorists have declared war on us. Hence, we need to make our prayers count and be as effective as possible. The only way to do that is to know and understand the history and current events.
PRAYER: Lord, please help Paris and the victims of the Paris Terror Attacks. Guide the French government, the first responders, and military. Guide the world to make a proper response, Lord. Father, help me to grasp their ideology, the conflict in the Middle
East, and terrorism. I am tired of having small and ineffective prayers about terrorism. Teach me and guide me, Lord.
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Miscellaneous Information:
ISIS stands for Islamic States of Iraq and Syria.
ISIL stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.
ISIS is also known as ISIL, Daesh, and IS.
IS is Islamic State.
ISIL was founded in 1999 by Abu Musab as-Zaqawi.
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Timeline of Muhammed, Islam, the Koran, Terrorism, and the Middle East
2015
January 07, 2015 Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris, France.
November 13, 2015, Friday The Paris Terror Attacks in Paris, France.
